Stephen J. Murphy and Ayanna Pressley

April 2013

In the wake of the bombings in Boston Massachusetts earlier this month, our hearts and minds turned to the cities of Boston and Cambridge. We watched proudly as Democratic Municipal Officials there rose to the occasion. Today we honor two of them as our DMOs of the Month.

Stephen J. Murphy, At-Large Member and President of the Boston City Council, was just steps away when the bombs exploded. Council President Murphy spent the hours and days after the event reflecting on his own near-miss, but also helping Bostonians and the rest of us understand what had happened from a human perspective. He presented a calm face to the media and was an important voice in how the story got told.

Our co-honoree this month is Boston City Councillor Ayanna Pressley. Pressley was featured by Black Entertainment Television at BET.com for her immediate spring into action after the bombings occurred. They tell her story well.

From virtually the moment she heard the news of the explosions, Ayanna Pressley’s life has been nothing short of a whirlwind.

Pressley, a member of the Boston City Council, has been meeting with local agencies, constituents and a wide array of Bostonians in an effort to bring assistance to people who have been affected by the bombings at the city’s marathon Monday afternoon.

"There are some pressing needs in this city,” Pressley said, in an interview with BET.com. "For one thing, people need information. And they need to know the resources that are available to them. And I see my role as helping to connect people with those resources.”

She spent time with residents in her neighborhood of Dorchester, many of them emotionally overcome by the death of 8-year-old Martin Richard, the third grader who was standing near the finish line to cheer on family friends who were running in the race.

"They are neighbors of mine and fixtures in the community,” she added. "Many of us in the neighborhood were together, everyone embracing each other and holding each other up.”...

Municipal officials, their staff, families and volunteers are often found on the front line when tragedy strikes their communities. We honor two of them today as fine examples who help us tell the story of the work our members are doing across our country in ways big and small every day.